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WEEK 6- Alongside

Author:
John LaCross
Host Vessel:
R/V Walton Smith

WEEK 6
August 14-20

Since the only two cruises that had been scheduled this month were canceled, we will be working on maintenance both shipboard and around the facility of Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. This is located on a slice of paradise known as Virginia Key, which lies 3 miles off the coast in between Miami and Key Biscayne.
Vertical load testing of the deck tie-down sockets has been completed, so we have moved on to the 45° tests. This will prove to be less time consuming, since two sockets are tested at the same time. The only trick is to plan the pairs so that we don't repeat any, since some are tested to 2500 pounds and others to only 1250 pounds (125% of rated load). There are over 200 individual sockets to be tested, each one requiring about ten minutes, so this is quite a time consuming task.
A shipping container arrived from Brazil containing new equipment as well as freshly recalibrated sensors, so we spent a day unloading those contents into a new lab space, as well as moving gear from the existing space. This included half a dozen large metal cabinets, requiring four of us and a fork truck to move, but all went smoothly.
It was also time to service the deionization filters in the ship's reverse osmosis system. This, of course is what transforms seawater into clean fresh water for the scientists, as well as drinking water.
On Thursday I received devastating news. One of my best friends back in Michigan had been tragically killed due to a gunshot wound. He and I had known each other for many years, and he was one of the noblest souls to ever walk the face of the earth. To say it was a tragedy would an enormous understatement. Needless to say, I was paralyzed with grief for the next several days, and began trying to arrange a flight home.
Both the MATE Center and UM staff were incredibly understanding and accommodating, something that really meant a lot to me in this dark hour. By Saturday I had made all the preparations to return for the funeral, and I struggled through the weekend in a haze.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Numbers DRL/ITEST 1312333 and DUE/ATE 1104310. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.